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Featured interviews from SpeedwayMedia.com

Max Beyore Honored as Ontario Rookie of the Year

At the Short Track Night of Champions as part of the Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Show, Max Beyore was honored as the Ontario Rookie of the Year. The OSCAAR Modified competitor had a great rookie season, finishing second in points while scoring a pair of victories.

“It was a pretty good year,” he shared. “If I could come second to Gary McLean, I’d be pretty happy. I’d like to do better, but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done.”

Beyore started off his season with three straight top-six finishes, before finishing eighth and fourth at Sunset Speedway to round out the month of June. The driver of the No. 91N Millennium Crane Service Ltd. Modified proved to be fast right out of the gate, and the inaugural series trip to Ottawa presented the opportunity once again for Beyore to break through with the victory. The first of the two features didn’t go as he would’ve hoped as he would post a ninth place finish. The second feature, though, that would go perfectly. Beyore bounced back in style and was able to break through to victory lane to score his first career OSCAAR victory.

The common thread of bad luck, then good luck continued for Beyore in the second half of July as he would have mechanical issues at Sauble Speedway, resulting in a 14th place finish. However, he came back at Peterborough Speedway a week later in style to score the victory in the Chase for the Colors event, giving him the pole for the Autumn Colors Classic.

The victory at Peterborough kicked off a string of strong finishes for Beyore as he posted three straight top-fives, before finishing 22nd at Sunset as a result of a heat incident. Beyore would end off his season on a good note, finishing second at the Autumn Colors Classic.

Beyore confirmed at the show that he will return to the OSCAAR Modified division full-time, in search of continued success.

March 18, 2015
One Man’s Journey from Tragedy to Inspiration

Our lives are often shaped by tragedy that forces us to look within for answers. Author John Green wrote, “Grief does not change you. It reveals you.”

Matt Poole’s journey of self awareness began in 2003 when his mother, Peggy Poole, passed away suddenly from a heart attack. “Her death,” he told me, “hit me hard and turned my world upside down. Then the darkness doubled up on me in 2005, when my friend Tonya Schultz was murdered by her husband.”

Disheartened but not defeated, Matt’s childhood dream of racing reawakened, fueled by love and the desire to honor the memory of this mother and friend. It has been 10 years since his journey began. The road traveled has been littered with the debris of broken promises, apathy and deception but his determination is unwavering.

This is his story.

“So here I was,” he begins, “on the outside looking in with no experience and almost 40-years-old. Over the course of the next 10 years, I heard the word ‘No’ not just occasionally, but often. Nobody cared about me. Nobody cared about Mom and Tonya. Nobody cared about my dream. However, if I was able to come up with enough money, they were willing to at least act like they cared.”

Matt was quickly confronted by the stark realities of racing. “One instance that comes to mind,” he remembers, “is walking into the race shop of a well known Nationwide Series owner. As I had done many times before, I went in and introduced myself, sat at the conference table with him and told him about my dream and what my goals were. He asked a few basic questions and his reply was short and sweet. ‘Bring me $2 million and I’ll run you in the K&N East Series.’ Just like that. He had never seen me turn a lap but after a 10 minute meeting he was ready to put me in a car and get me right out on the track, provided I came up with $2 million dollars.”

Amid the frustration, there were also moments of sweet success. After four years of knocking on doors, phone calls, emails and letters, Matt had the opportunity to test at Hickory Motor Speedway and eventually compete in his first race, with a picture of his mother and friend, Tonya, taped to the dash of the car for inspiration.

”I walked in off the street and ran against guys who had been doing it for years. I didn’t burn the world down in my first race; I started 10th and finished 12th.”

He donated his winnings to the American Heart Association in his mother’s memory, “because it was a heart attack that took Mom from us,” and to the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Tonya’s memory, “because her children were her world.” In Matt’s second race, he started ninth and finished seventh, once again donating his earnings to charity.

His biggest disappointment came in 2012 when he entered a nationwide driver search which was advertised as “giving a grass roots racer a shot.” It seemed straightforward with reputable backers so Matt submitted a video and asked his friends to vote.

My mindset when I entered,” he explained, “was whether I win or lose, if I just get in and get on TV then maybe, just maybe, someone will take notice. All I had to do was get chosen. “

He soon rose to the top in fan votes and remained there for most of the competition but was not selected as a finalist.

“For reasons still unknown to this day,” Matt says, “that opportunity was taken away from me. Tens of thousands of votes and the voting server crashing three times wasn’t enough to get me chosen. Sitting in first place for three months wasn’t enough. Yes, I was mad and I was hurt. I had been publically embarrassed. But even as let down as I felt, I felt like I had let down the people who voted for me day in and day out.”

“I turned my back on the dream,” he continued, “but the dream never went away. The desire never went away. I was the one who went away. That was, by far, the lowest point of this 10 year journey.”

But dreams cannot be denied and Matt is once again chasing his dream. This time, he’s doing it on his terms with a specific goal.

When I walked away, I didn’t think a comeback was possible. At that point in time I didn’t want to,” he admitted. “But the feeling kept eating away at me that if I gave up, I was disappointing Mom and Tonya. I felt like I was disappointing all of the fans, who were behind me and kept telling me, ‘Don’t give up on your dreams.’ I knew there was no use trying to find a sponsor again, I had done that. I knew there was no use trying to find an owner willing to give me a shot. I had done that. I knew that the only way to do it was to turn to the fans for help. A fundraiser was literally the only way it was going to happen. It was, quite simply, my only choice.”

Matt has negotiated a deal with a car owner and put together a plan that he feels is not only realistic, but attainable. All that remains is procuring funds to maintain, transport and operate the car. Any winnings will be donated to charity. Matt will also host various promotional events including an auction of his helmet and firesuit with all proceeds going to charity.

“The goal amount of the fundraiser is for the costs involved with running the 11 race ARCA Series package we have put together. Nobody makes any kind of profit from this deal,” he emphasized. “Not me, not the owner, no one. One hundred percent of my winnings are being donated to the American Heart Association in Mom’s memory and to the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Tonya’s memory. The only thing I get out of this is the opportunity to drive the car. That’s all I have ever chased after.

“This is just my way of honoring the memory of two people who were very dear to me. It’s about a childhood dream and it’s about helping others. I can’t do it without help, though. This is literally my only shot. I’m asking the fans for their help in getting there so I can drive it like I stole it. That’s all I want, that’s all I ever wanted, to drive it like I stole it. And I won’t give up until I do.”

For as little as $1, you can not only help Matt achieve his dream but also make a difference in someone’s life through the charities that he supports. Everyone who contributes will be recognized on the “Contribution Wall of Fame” at Matt Poole Racing and businesses can share their link on the page as well. Matt’s progress will be documented so that you can follow along and be a part of the journey.

“It’s about a childhood dream, and it’s about helping others. I can’t do it without your help.”

Please visit the Matt Poole’s Fundraiser page to contribute and help Matt realize his dream.

March 17, 2015
Todd Bodine: From Fabricator to NASCAR Champion

As he watched his brothers Geoff and Brett Bodine become more involved with the racing world, Todd Bodine didn’t get his chance behind the wheel till he was 19 years old.

“I got a late start,” Bodine commented. “I didn’t start racing anything until I was 19. From the time I was 19, I owned my racecar for two years – ran about 15 to 18 races, then went broke and had no money. From about ’85 to when I started running full time in Busch Grand National back then in ’91, I only raced a couple of races. So I didn’t have a lot of experience when I started racing Busch Grand National full-time.”

That opportunity to drive full-time in the Busch Grand National Series came after he made the decision to move to North Carolina. That decision came in 1985 after crashing his car at Stafford.

“I said, ‘The heck with this’,” he said. “Both my brothers had moved south already – Geoff was racing for Rick Hendrick, Brett was working for Rick Hendrick and actually started driving the Busch car at the time. So I packed everything in the little blue Chevette that I had and drove south and went to work for Rick Hendrick.”

During his time working at Hendrick Motorsports and other race teams, Bodine did everything – from building and working on the cars, to changing tires on pit road. He even crew chiefed for a bit. While working with Kyle Petty’s Busch car, an opportunity would fall into Bodine’s lap.

“Our sponsor at the time wanted to run more races. Kyle didn’t want to run more races so I said, ‘Send me in’ and they did,” Bodine said. “I did very well and that got me the opportunity to run full-time the next season.”

Bodine says while he hated working on the cars all those years, it was the best education that he could’ve gotten as it helped make him a better driver.

“Everything that I learned to that point, I was able to apply to driving,” he said. “By this time, I had been to all the race tracks and watched everybody race, I knew the bodies and how to set them up; I knew the springs and shocks that I needed. So when I got the opportunity to drive, I’m not going to say it was easy, but it made it easier because I already had good set-ups. I knew how to make them run – I just had to apply the knowledge in how to make them run and what I had seen on the race track to what my butt was driving me behind the wheel.”

Once he got behind the wheel, the success would come for the driver, that is now known to many in the garage area simply as “The Onion.” Per Bodine, the nickname was something that was just kept between him and Randy for a long time.

“Randy is very funny and in ’91 when I first driving full-time in the Busch Series, Randy was my spotter,” Bodine said. “Even back then, I didn’t have a lot of hair and he nicknamed me ‘The Onion’. He just started calling me it. Nobody else called me that – just Randy; it was our thing for a long time. We were friends, Randy is a jokester and nicknames everybody. Joey Logano’s Sliced Bread – that was Randy that gave him the nickname.”

The nickname didn’t come to light for the media and fans till 2001, when Bodine was looking for something to spice up his image.

“I’m getting up in age, kind of fallen into the crowd and not really getting noticed. You got to have a hook – something to get you noticed so they talk about you,” he commented. “I didn’t have a lot of hair so I shaved what I had off, grew a goatee, started wearing sunglasses and I became the onion. We branded it, made sure all the announcers called me. The kids loved it. That was the biggest reason I did it – the kids. They love it and we got a little onion man – go on the website and check out the little onion. That’s it. That’s the Onion.

“We branded me. At the time we did it, we had all these young guys coming around so us old guys were getting pushed back and forgotten about. We needed something to get back up and get noticed, and it worked.”

March 17, 2015
Dan Price Excited For Upcoming OSCAAR Modified Season

After running Thunder Car for the past several years at Peterborough Speedway, Dan Price is set to take his racing on road in 2015, joining the OSCAAR Modified tour.

“There’s a lot of excitement for 2015 with the move to our faster car and a touring series stacked full of veterans and young hot shots,” Price said. “The plan is to get seat time, finish all the races and get this program moving in a direction of getting faster and faster as the season rolls on. I really like these cars and this series, this is where I see our team making our home for some time.”

Price says he made the decision to move up, feeling that it was the right time based on the amount of years that he has been behind the wheel of a Thunder Car.

“You get to the point where you outspend the class. I didn’t think it was my class anymore,” he explained. “I wanted more, and I didn’t want to run that class by spending more in the Thunder Car and going more into it. It was time. I’d done as much as I felt I should do to a Thunder Car, and it was just time to move on.”

The move follows one of his best Thunder Car seasons in his career that saw him run up front throughout the season at Peterborough Speedway. It also featured one of the biggest highlights – his first career victory.

“It meant a lot,” he commented. “It was a long time….It meant everything. That’s what you work for. It was nice to have that. Hopefully we’ll get another one, but I’ll always have that one.”

Now set forth for the new challenge in 2015, the driver of the No. 09 Hy-Hope Farm and Golf Course, Langille’s Scrap and Cores, and A&T Mechanical Modified says that the goals for this year are to finish each event, not tear anything up and learn as much as he can.

“I’ll be at a two to three year learning curve with this car,” he added. “I’m not going throw buckets and buckets of money at it and try and come out of the gate like gangbusters. It’s a building process. We’re going to have some fun, stay out of trouble and get laps. That’s the plan.”

The OSCAAR tour also brings forth a pair of trips to Peterborough Speedway, where Price hopes to have a good showing in front of the hometown crowd.

“I’m looking forward to Peterborough,” he commented. “A lot of fans there, a lot of laps around that place – I have more laps than any other track on the schedule. Just looking forward to going back to home.”

Though beyond the OSCAAR schedule, Price has also expressed in interest in taking hte modified down to the Call of the Wild event at Kalamazoo Speedway in Michigan.

“It’s the same weekend as the Rick Woolner Memorial – I’d hate to miss that, but at that point and late in the season, if I’m far back to contend for Rookie of the Year, I may take that weekend and head to Michigan,” he commented. “I’m very excited to get the wide tire, fast car on Kalamazoo. As fun as it was in the Thunder Car and how fast that car was around, I’d really like to try a fast car.”

March 14, 2015
Gordon’s Step Father John Bickford: ‘Going Out on Top is a Great Choice’

On hand at the Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Show, Jeff Gordon’s step father John Bickford was greeting show attendees as they checked out Gordon’s No. 3M Chevrolet and discussed details surrounding the Canadian Motor Speedway project. Though one of the questions beyond the speedway’s progress was with regards to Gordon’s announcement at the beginning of this season.

Before the 2015 season, Gordon announced that the 2015 Sprint Cup Series will be his “last full Sprint Cup Series season”. He may run other races in the future, but it won’t be the full schedule. Reflecting on his stepson’s career, Bickford says it’s great to see Gordon going out on top.

“I think he’s had a great career and I think going out on top is a great choice,” Bickford commented. “I think, from my stand point, I think that’s the way it should be. I’m just glad he has himself in a position where he can do that. Going out on top is the way all professional athletes should do it. You don’t want to go out with injury, you don’t want to go out because you can’t perform anymore – you want to go out on top.”

Beyond his career behind the wheel, Gordon has had a heavy influence in the racing world – and the speedway is set to become an extension of that. Gordon formed a partnership with race track builder Paxton Waters with the goal of building a race track in Canada – due to the fact that he has always wondered why Canada didn’t have an oval NASCAR event for the longest time.

Over the past two years, the project has gone through some delays with government delays and appeals to the building of the track, however the project seems to be turned in the right direction moving forward.

“The speedway is a long and tedious project that has a tremendous amount of individuals that we have to make sure everything is done right,” Bickford commented. “The track has to last for a long time, and in order to do that, you have to have everything in the right order, and it just takes a long time to do that. We’re very glad that motorsports people are patient and understand that because it takes a long time.

“I think we’re still a good year from actual construction of the track. Some hurdles, things like traffic program, various things like that. Last year, we had to move the creek – that’s all established now. It’s a matter of getting site plans put in front of the municipality, get them to see that – but you always have various government processes that are very slow. Not that they’re slow, it’s just a tedious process.”

March 14, 2015
Scott Lagasse Doubles Down Twice at Daytona

Scott Lagasse Jr. is not only doing double duty on the track at Daytona, running the Camping World Truck and the Xfinity Series, but he is also doing double duty off the track as cyclist and new father.

“I’m excited about running both the Truck and Xfinity Series at Daytona,” Lagasse said. “Daytona doesn’t tend to be a physically demanding track. So, I don’t know that there is anything in that regard that I’m concerned about.”

“I would tell you that I think it is actually an advantage to do more racing.”

“We’ve all been off for a couple months. You do everything you can to stay sharp and be sharp with your starts, but the more seat time you get, the better you are, especially on the plate tracks which is so unique. So, I think it’s an advantage to be able to run both.”

Lagasse also thinks that doing double duty will assist him in planning for the mental strategies needed in both races on the high-banked track and in the draft.

“I think strategies will be similar across the board between the Truck and Xfinity Series,” Lagasse said. “I think it’s going to be more about learning the individual vehicles. Last time I drove the race truck, they sucked up so much more aggressively than the cars. So, learning and adapting to what each vehicle wants to make it go is going to be the task. I think overall, general drafting principles will apply across the board.”

As Lagasse prepares for double duty at Daytona, his two race teams are preparing as well. But Lagasse said that dual preparation started well before the race truck and car headed to Daytona.

“My work with both teams has been going on for about a month or so since I found out I would be working with both teams,” Lagasse said. “The great thing is that I’m with two great groups who are experienced. NTS is a great Truck program and you are going to see them win a lot of races this year I believe; hopefully with me in them. And then what Mark Smith is doing at Tri-Star is just really impressive to me. Mark has got some great people in there and he has really ramped the program up.”

“The people are what matters the most at the end of the day. I’m excited to be with both groups, both teams and both crew chiefs and I’m looking forward to it.”

While Daytona is not an audition per se, Lagasse admits that in spite of the double duty, his future on the track is still a bit up in the air.

“I know it will not be a full schedule in the trucks,” Lagasse said. “I don’t know that answer yet. I know there are a lot of people working to make things happen but I don’t know if timing wise if that will happen.”

“I’m looking forward to doing both races,” Lagasse continued. “I grew up racing all different kinds of things and I think it makes you better that away. So, whether it’s dirt, asphalt, road racing, I’ll run whatever opportunities are there where I can be competitive.”

“My goal is to do a great job for both organizations and grow from there.”

In addition to the double duty at Daytona, Lagasse is doing double duty off track, with his cycling safety program and his adventure as a new father.

As far as his cycling program, last week, the driver participated in a 40-mile bicycling event, from Marineland to Daytona International Speedway to raise awareness about safety for cyclists and pedestrians through the Alert Today Alive Tomorrow Safety Program.

“Last Friday’s cycling event turned out to be way more fun than I anticipated and we made some great friends out of it,” Lagasse said. “We rode out from St. Augustine to the Speedway. It was supposed to be more drivers but schedules got difficult at the end.”

“So, it was just two of us, myself and Jimmie Johnson. And then we had some professional cyclists, Tim Johnson, Christian Vande Velde and Dirk Bockel, an Ironman and professional triathlete.”

“The goal was to raise some awareness and to really humanize cyclists. I think from both sides there is a disconnect between cyclists and drivers, both of whom believe the road is theirs. And at the end of the day, we’re going to have to work together.”

“We hope everybody will to be safe. That was the goal of it and it turned out to be a lot of fun. In fact, I’ve been texting back and forth with Christian and now he is coming to the track to check out some racing. So, hopefully we have made some new fans for our sport too. We need to see people like that enjoy our sport.”

During the bike ride, Lagasse not only gained respect for his fellow cyclists, including six-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, but also gained a whole new perspective of the track.

“Jimmie is a monster,” Lagasse said. “He’s in killer shape. There was probably fifteen of us and everyone pulled their load.”

“The highlight of it was a last minute surprise with a lap around the race track on our bikes. That was a totally different perspective. I’ve been around on rental cars but to cruise around on a bike and to stop and climb the banking was pretty neat.”

“Tim Johnson rode the bike on the bank but he’s nuts. The rest of us rode around the bottom. Tim was up there playing. You don’t realize how much banking there is until you try to climb it. It was great and I thank the speedway for that opportunity. I hope that is the beginning of an annual event. So, hopefully we’ll be able to do it again next year.”

Lagasse’s other double duty off track is the one of which he is most proud, new dad. He and his wife welcomed Emelia, born just a month ago.

“She has me completely wrapped around her finger already,” Lagasse said. “It’s our first and she has pretty much figured out how to control me already. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m having a lot of fun with it. I’m lucky that I’m sleeping more than a lot. For the most part, she’s been very good.”

“She is going to come down and stay on Saturday night after the race to hang out. She’s still pretty young so we won’t spend too much time around the track.”

Whether double duty off the track, or double duty on the track, Lagasse is ready for all of it to begin in earnest this weekend.

“I’m excited to race at Daytona International Speedway in the NEXTera Energy Resources 250 and the Alert Today Florida 300,” Lagasse said. “I enjoy racing at Daytona because it is the home track for me and the team.”

“I am also honored to have the ‘Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow’ on both cars during Speedweeks. The campaign is to raise awareness for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists. As an avid cyclist it’s an honor to be able to carry the ‘Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow’ safety message. My goal is to get everyone to just take a couple extra seconds to think about the safety of others on the road.”

“It’s just humbling for sure to be a part of it all.”

February 19, 2015
For Dalton Sargeant, Everything is Brand Spanking New

For Dalton Sargeant, who is running in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series this season, everything is brand spanking new, from his new sponsor to his new crew chief. And with that, Sargeant simply cannot wait for the drop of the green flag in his new rookie season.

One of the biggest new things in the life of this up and coming driver is his sponsor. GALT, Global Asphalt Logistics and Trading, has stepped up to sponsor the Sargeant’s No. 51 Chevrolet for the full K&N East Season. GALT is a leader in asphalt trading around the world and will start their new sponsorship at the season opener on February 15>th at New Smyrna Speedway.

“GALT was one of our partners when I was living in Europe,” Sargeant said. “They wanted to help out with my future moving forward. I had a good relationship with them through my father.”

In addition to the K&N sponsorship, GALT will have their name on all Sargeant’s race cars, from being an associate partner on the No. 5s Wauters Motorsports machine in several super late model events to sponsoring the No. 51 Lee Pulliam Performance machine in select NASCAR Hometracks late model events.

“It’s so exciting and refreshing to have GALT come on board with us in every single motorsports discipline we’ll be participating in during the 2015 racing season,” Sargeant said. “GALT has a great group of people behind them and it’s been a pleasure working towards this goal with them.”

“I can definitely draw so many parallels between a company like GALT and an organization like HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks. It was evident after the first time our friends at GALT stepped into the facility at HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks and saw the resources and equipment that they were just as excited about the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series racing season as we were.”

“It was really refreshing to see that kind excitement with GALT and their associates and their level of involvement just grew from there. They realized this wasn’t just another race team but an organization that could push their brand to a whole new level.”

“I’ll try to help them mobilize their name, particularly in America, because they are more of a European company. So, I hope to help them gain in popularity.”

Along with his new sponsor, Sargeant also has a brand new crew chief in Kris Bowen, whose resume includes a New Hampshire win, two poles and 16 top-5 finishes under his belt in his three seasons atop the pit box.

“I’m very excited to work with Kris,” Sargeant said. “He’s been a driver himself and has worked with some good drivers as well. He’s a great guy and he will play a vital role in my career prospects.”

“We’re definitely very similar. We like to joke around a little bit and have fun off and on the track. I’m really excited to work with him.”

Bowen is equally as excited to get started with his brand new driver.

“This is such a great opportunity for not only myself but also for such a talented driver like Dalton Sargeant,” Kris Bowen said. “I’ve been watching Dalton since he made his debut on the late model stock car scene in 2014 and have been impressed with his results with such little stock car and oval experience for that matter. He came from a background in karting which is where I began my racing career as well, he’s a perfect example of a driver who’s taken all the attributes of being a successful driver in karts and has applied them in stock cars with great success.”

“With a great driver and all the tools, cars and equipment that I could ever ask for from a great organization like HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks, I’m really looking forward to this opportunity and can’t wait to get started at New Smyrna Speedway.”

In addition to the K&N Series, Sargeant also hopes to weave in other new opportunities for getting seat time and time behind the wheel, especially on tracks where he lacks familiarity.

“I’m going to be running the full K&N East Series and I’ll also try to fit in a few K&N West races, although we haven’t determined which ones yet. Whenever I have off, we’re going to fill in with some other stock races,” Sargeant said. “It’s tough because they changed the testing policy. It will definitely make things more tricky for the rookies coming in this year. I’ve already gone to several of the tracks before in the past and I’m going to try to run Super Late Models and stock races at those tracks prior to my K&N races.”

“I think the biggest challenge will be figuring out the new car with no time to test and no time in it.”

While everything is brand spanking new for the young driver who caught everyone’s eye after finishing runner up in the Snow Ball Derby, Sargeant is definitely set for the 2015 race season.

“I definitely have high expectations for myself going into this new season,” Sargeant said. “I definitely want to run really well. The pressure is not really high.”

“I’m just another guy from South Florida,” Sargeant continued. “I have kind of a cool background coming from open wheel cars, which is kind of different. But at the end of the day, I want to get out there and do the best that I can.”

“This winter break has definitely been too long. I’m ready to start the new season and go racing.”

February 10, 2015
Austin Dillon looking to be more aggressive, become a contender this year

Now heading into his sophomore season with Richard Childress Racing, Austin Dillon is excited to go and set to make the Chase for the Championship this upcoming season.

“I think now that one year of the new Chase format has been complete, everyone will head into 2015 more prepared,” he told SpeedwayMedia.com. “The emphasis on winning will be even greater because we now know for sure that that’s what needs to happen in order to make the Chase.”

Noting that his rookie was “about learning and making laps”, which was accomplished in completing 99.5 percent of the laps en route to finishing 20th in points. Now the 24-year-old is focused on being a “stronger and more aggressive as a driver” than he was last year while becoming a contender to win races to be part of the chaos throughout the year.

“I have to work hard and push myself,” he said. “We want to make the Chase and we want to win races. Race wins will come with consistent, top-five finishes. At RCR, we have everything we need to achieve our goals…talented people, technology, cars, engineers. We all want it. It’s just a matter of believing in ourselves and going for it.”

Reflecting back on last year, Dillon notes one of the biggest thing is that you can’t simply rely on having talent behind the wheel, as everybody in the Sprint Cup Series has talent.

“Some people can rely on talent and that is unbelievable,” he commented. “But it is going to take more for me to get prepared better and be ready when I get to the track to make it happen.”

Though in the process of looking for improvement, he and the No. 3 team are also working to figure out the rule changes that have been set forth by NASCAR. In searching for what is going to work, Dillon notes that it will be a benefit to run some XFINITY races this year.

“I’m very thankful to have the opportunity with Rheem because I think that with the new rules package the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars and the NASCAR XFINITY Series cars are closer than they’ve ever been,” he commented. “I think there will be more opportunity than there ever has been before to transfer information that you learn on Saturday into Sunday’s race. We’re all still learning the rules package, but running those Saturday races will help.”

With the Daytona 500 only a couple weeks away, there’s no secret that the young driver is excited to get back to the track that gave him his first Sprint Cup Series pole. Though beyond that, Dillon says that he is looking forward to both restrictor plate races – Daytona and Talladega – due to Richard Childress Racing’s history of winning at both tracks.

“The history and prestige of those tracks just speaks for itself,” he commented. “I also really like Kentucky. Las Vegas is another one. We were extremely fast at Michigan last year, and I think we were pretty close to getting my first win but had problems at the very end of the race. I like Pocono, too. We showed a lot of speed at Pocono.”

Going into the year last year, the big story was the return the No. 3 and with a successful season under his belt, it is something that fans have grown comfortable with seeing back on track. Dillon says carrying the historic number carries a lot of pressure, but that can be a good thing.

“There’s pressure, but that’s a good thing and something I feel very fortunate for and take great responsibility for,” he spoke of the number. “Not every number gives you pressure. This number, the No. 3, means so much. It pushes me to be better, to go to the gym, to talk to my crew chief, Gil Martin and to be with the guys on the team every day. The number pushes me and that’s a good thing.”

February 7, 2015
Chris Heroy Ready to Shine at Daytona as Kyle Larson Begins his Sophomore Season

We have all heard the statement, “Behind every good man is an equally good woman.” The same goes for NASCAR, for behind every good driver is an equally good crew chief. We have heard of some of the great duos; Dale Earnhardt and Kirk Shelmerdine, Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart and Greg “Zippy” Zipadelli. Now, we have one more duo to add to NASCAR, Chris “Shine” Heroy and Kyle Larson.

A crew chief is the glue that holds the whole team together. They wear many hats throughout the racing season. They are trainer and therapist, they are reassuring and they are the calming force when others collide. When they make the right call in a race, they are the hero but when they make the wrong call, their heads are on the line. They give the driver what they need, even if it’s not what the driver asked for.

Heroy is by no means new to the NASCAR scene, but he took, perhaps, the long way around. He started in Indiana but ended up in California where he got his first start in racing with a Toyota Atlantic Series team (open wheel). In 2004 Heroy began his career in NASCAR as a chassis engineer for Hendrick Motorsports on what was the final season for Terry Labonte. He stayed with Hendrick Motorsports for eight years working as the chassis engineer for a diverse group of drivers including Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, Mark Martin.

In 2012 he left Hendrick Motorsports for the opportunity to be the crew chief for the No. 42 Target sponsored Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, driven by Juan Pablo Montoya. In 2012 Montoya announced that at the end of the season, he would return to IndyCar and all eyes turned to a driver who was taking the K&N Pro Series by storm. It was a young driver, who had caught the attention of many fans with his no holds barred driving style, Kyle Larson.

The 2014 season started with an uproar over the return of Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 with Austin Dillon at the wheel. It was the most eclectic season for rookies that NASCAR had in many years and all eyes were on the No. 3, wondering if Dillon would live up to the reputation.

While that was happening Heroy and Larson, who had clicked from the start, were forging a friendship beyond racing, but it was showing on the track as well. With Heroy’s knowledge and Larson’s natural talent, they became the duo that stole the rookie spotlight from Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Dillon. Now all eyes were on Larson as with each race the team was becoming the one to watch come race day. Heroy and Larson had a rookie season like no other and the fans loved it. It was no surprise when Larson won the 2014 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year title hands down.

Heroy already has everything ready for Daytona and is eager to race. In fact, the Atlanta car was on the floor getting ready for that race when I spoke to him. I asked him if the new testing rules had affected them at all and he explained, “It does yes, we come up with all these ideas, but we have no idea if they will work or not so we put them in what we call a “bucket.” We have a full bucket of ideas now, we just have to wait until we get to the track to see if they work or not, which adds more pressure to race weekend because there is much more to try.”

I asked Heroy if the push from Ryan Newman at Phoenix International Raceway upset Larson and he surprised me by saying, “Actually not really, Kyle isn’t one that gets really heated in the car too bad. Once I told him Newman needed that spot to make it (into the Chase) he was okay with it.”

Heroy also talked about the goals for this year, commenting, “Our goals for this year are pretty much the same, win our first race (at least one), make the Chase and hopefully we win it all.”

I questioned whether Larson has changed since becoming a new father. Heroy chuckled and said, “Nah, he takes Owen (Larson’s son) everywhere. Once he is in the car, that all goes away and it’s all about the race.”

Next, I asked Heroy if he had any pet peeves about Kyle. He laughed and said. “Yes, getting him to the car quicker. He is so grateful for all his fans and he hates to walk away and not have the time to sign an autograph for everyone.” He added, “Fans mean everything and he still is amazed by the fans that say, ‘I remember you back in your open wheel days at such and such track.’ It really makes you think how much fans have really followed your career.”

We also talked about driving styles and I asked Heroy if Larson’s driving style reminded him of Kyle Busch because many fans find it similar. He answered, “Not really,” adding, “I have heard that before but in truth he is more like Jimmie Johnson, more controlled than you think.”

Heroy is comfortable in his role with the team. Each member of the team has a role to fulfill on race day. It’s the crew chief’s job to ensure that everyone knows what to do and to make adjustments all race long for the car and subsequently the driver and Heroy is perfect with Larson. It should not come as a surprise that this team is capable of accomplishing great things.

NASCAR is Heroy’s family for the moment and that’s okay with him. However, if you are on the beach early one morning and spot a Target painted surfboard out catching a wave, say Hi, as odds are, it could be Heroy, as not only is he a superb crew chief but he is an avid surfer as well. In fact, that’s how he got the nickname “Sunshine” which was further shortened to, “Shine.” So perhaps when they give the command to “start your engines,” one day we should just say “Surf’s up,” and watch his reaction.

February 4, 2015
Helio Castroneves Looking for One More Spot This Season

Last season, Helio Castroneves had a great Verizon IndyCar Series season that saw him finish second in points with a win and six podiums.

““Last season was a very successful one for me,” he told SpeedwayMedia.com. “We won a race, challenged for the championship and just came up a bit short in the Indianapolis 500. I wish we were a little more consistent over the last few races. We had some difficult races at Mid-Ohio and Milwaukee. Those races really hampered our championship hopes. But we had a shot at a championship and that’s really all you can ask for. Having the season that we did just keeps me hungry to win a championship.”

Now heading into 2015, Castroneves is searching for one more spot in the championship standings in hopes of capturing his first championship crown.

“The 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season was a very successful one for Team Penske, but I feel that 2015 will be even better,” Castroneves said. “There aren’t many teams in INDYCAR history that can match our driver lineup. As a team, we should have a legitimate shot to win every race. I feel like our No. 3 Chevy team has the ability to challenge for the championship again this year. We should certainly have the speed, we just need to find a bit more consistency.”

To make that move to the top step of the podium, Castroneves feels that he needs to be more consistent this year as to be a champion, “you just have to minimize the bad days and not let them turn into disasters”. The Brazilian is also hopes to score at least one more win than he got last year, too.

“If we can do all that we will have a great shot at a championship,” he noted.

The statistics from last year back up that they should be strong this year as while Castroneves finished second in points, Will Power won the championship with Juan Pablo Montoya finishing fourth.

“Simon is going to bring a lot to the team this year,” Castroneves commented. “He’s been one of the quickest drivers in the sport over the last few seasons. I know we are all anxious to start testing with him and see what new ideas we can all do to make the team better. Simon and I have enjoyed a good relationship over the years. He drove for Gil de Ferran – who is my former teammate – in sports car racing, so we’ve had that connection for a few years. He’s a smart and talented racer.”

Castroneves added that the addition of Pagenaud will make this a historic year for Penske as they’ve never had four cars before, but feels this is the right time to expand as it will help in trying to figure out the new aero kits and gain an advantage.

“The aero kits will level the playing field and bit for everyone,” he continued. “We are all curious to see what the racing is going to be like with the new kits. The Indianapolis 500 should be very exciting with the speeds we will be running. It’s going to be a fun year.”

Getting into the season, the one race on the schedule that is highlighted by many drivers is Indianapolis as every driver wants to win the Indianapolis 500. Castroneves has had the opportunity to win it three times already, and says it’d mean a lot if he could become a four-time winner.

“Rick Mears has done a lot for me in my career and to join him in the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner’s club would be a very big deal to me,” he commented. “Again, there are a few unknowns this year with the new aero kits but when you race for Team Penske you know that you will have a great shot when we get to Indianapolis.”

February 3, 2015